Method of and apparatus for making sized threads, not twisted, of artificial silk



July 31, 1956 LING 757,101

H. EL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SIZED THREADS, NOT

TWISTED, OF ARTIFICIAL SILK Filed June 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fl'qya ZZlz'zg, BY 12/ W ATTORNEY y -1. 1956 H ELLING 757,101

METHOD OF AND APPARATU FOR MAKING SIZED THREADS, NOT TWISTED, OF ARTIFICIAL SILK Filed June 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u flgtif) INVENTOR fizgyo Z225). BY M M ATTORNEY United States Patent ll/[ETHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SIZED THREADS, NOT TWISTED, OF ARTI- FICIAL SILK Hugo Elling, Oberbruch-Grebben, Bezirk, Aachen, Germany, assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Enka Corporation, Enka, N. C., a corporation of Delaware Application June 28, 1952, Serial No. 296,231 Claims priority, application Germany June 29, 1951 2 Claims. (Cl. 117-8) This invention relates to artificial silk, and more particularly to the production of artificial silk threads which are not twisted.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method of making warp sized artificial silk threads which are not twisted.

It is another object of this invention to provide an artificial silk from threads not twisted so as to have an increased covering power.

A further object of the invention is to provide. an artificial silk from threads not twisted which requires, because of the increase in covering power, a reduced number of threads in warp and woof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method of making artificial silk which eliminates the twisting and consequent rewinding steps.

Other objects, and the manner in which the same are attained, will become apparent as this specification proceeds.

Attempts have been made in the past to use threads not twisted for textile purposes. If, however, such threads are used as warp threads difiiculties are encountered because of the necessity of sizing the Warp threads; for part of the size must be removed again, usually by one of two procedures, to wit removal of the size by suction or squeezing. The removal of excessive quantities of size is necessary as otherwise, during the drying step, the drying devices would be subject to a crippling incrustation. The first of the two procedures mentioned above, involving suction, is unsatisfactory for the reason that it does not permit reducing in the usual way, the moisture content to the extent desired. The second procedure for removing excessive size, on the other hand, results in the threads being pressed to assume the shape of little ribbons; consequently, the finished cloth has an uneven appearance as the little ribbons are disposed in the fabric broadwise in some places, and edgewise in others.

Contrary to expectation, dyeing and finishing do not restore uniformity to such a fabric.

The squeezing step, however, can not be dispensed with as the thread has a moisture content of 450 per cent which, if it were to be reduced by drying only, would require drying channels of excessive length, provided the high spinning velocities of 100150 meters per minute were retained.

I have discovered that the ribbon shape imparted to the thread by the squeezing procedure, can be eliminated again by guiding the thread, on completion of the squeezing step, over a grooved roller, the section of the groove on the roller being so dimensioned as to transform the ribbon shape into a shape having a circular section. The section of the groove effecting the transformation depends on the titre (number) of the thread. It has been very surprising to discover that the sizing effect is not influenced detrimentally by this shape converting procedure. After having passed over the grooved roller, the thread or group of threads under treatment are passed on to the drying devices. The warp made in this manner yields an immaculate fabric.

The grooved roller may be arranged between a pair of squeezing rollers and the drying installation for the continuous threads, in any positionwhich permits passing the threads or groups of threads along a portion of the roller designed to transform the fiat section of the threads again into a round section. Accordingly, other guide rollers etc. may be arranged in front of and behind the grooved roller. The grooved roller even may be arranged behind the first roller of the drying installation as even when the threads are already dried to some extent, the restoration of the round section can still be obtained.

The grooved roller, preferably, is driven, at a speed corresponding to the velocity at which the threads move; if, however, a large number of individual threads are treated simultaneously, and/ or in cases where the grooved rollers are particularly small and of light weight, the grooved roller may be driven by the threads themselves. Of course, two grooved rollers may be provided instead of one although usually one should be sufiicient.

In the drawings accompanying this application and forming part thereof, several embodiments of the invention are shown diagrammatically by way of example.

In the drawings,

Figs. 1 to 6 are diagrammatic illustrations of sizing, squeezing and drying apparatus, with a grooved roller according to the invention interposed at various points between the other elements of such apparatus;

Fig. 7 shows a grooved roller, partly in section;

Fig. 8 illustrates, in section and on an enlarged scale, a thread as deformed by the squeezing rollers, and

Fig. 9 shows, in section and on an enlarged scale, a thread with the circular shape restored by the grooved roller according to the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1, the group of threads 1 which may come from the washing section of a spinning machine for the continuous production of artificial threads, or else from a collecting roller, is passed by means of rollers or guides 2 and 3 through a sizing bath 4. Upon leaving this bath, the threads are freed from the bulk of the moisture carried along, by means of two squeezing rollers 5 and 6 which are driven at a speed corresponding to the speed of movement of the threads, one of these squeezing rollers being forced against the other. After passing the squeezing rollers, the threads are passed on to the rotary guide roller 7, and from here to the grooved roller 8 driven at the same speed. After leaving the grooved roller 8, the threads pass over a freely revolving roller 9, to the drying rollers 10 to be wound, after leaving the drying devices, on the warp beam 11.

Fig. 2 shows a similar arrangement which differs, however, from the showing of Fig. 1 in that one guide roller 3 only'is disposed in the sizing bath 4. The grooved roller 8 is disposed right behind the pair of squeezing rollers 5 and 6. Two guide rollers 7 and 9 are interposed in the path of the threads, in front of the drying installation 10.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification wherein the group of threads after leaving the pair of squeezing rollers 5 and 6, is directly passed on to the grooved roller 8 and from there directly to the drying drums 10, without any intervening guide rollers.

Fig. 4 corresponds to the arrangement according to Fig. 1 with the exception that two grooved rollers 8 are interposed between the squeezing rollers 5, 6 and the guide roller 9.

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention wherein the threads 1 pass over the guiding rollers 2 and 3 arranged in the sizing bath, to the squeezing rollers 5, 6. The positively driven grooved roller 8 is preceded and followed by two freely revolving, light weight guide rollers Hand 13 which are driven by the threads passing over them, these guide rollers being so disposed in relation to the grooved roller 8 that the threads are guided over about two thirds the circumference of the grooved roller. On leaving the guide roller 13 the threads pass the freely revolving guide roller 9 to arrive at the drying apparatus 14.

Fig. 6 shows a modification where the threads 1 emerging from the squeezing rollers 5, 6, after passing a guide roller 9, pass a first drying roller 10, the grooved roller 8 being interposed between this first drying roller and similar drying rollers reached by the threads after passage across the grooved roller 8.

Fig. 7 shows a grooved roller on an enlarged scale, partly in section for the sake of clarity. The roller surface is provided with many grooves with parallel walls spaced according to the titre of the threads under treatment. Each of these grooves is designed to receive a thread and to restore the circular section deformed during the previous passage through the squeezing rollers.

Fig. 8 shows, on an enlarged scale, the flattened section of a thread deformed by the squeezing rollers while Fig. 9 shows, again on an enlarged scale, the circular section restored to the thread by the grooved roller according to the invention.

The invention results in numerous important advantages. It permits the making of warp sized artificial silk threads which are not twisted and which, by comparison with twisted threads, have a materially increased covering power so that to obtain the same eifect as with twisted threads, the number of threads in warp and woof may be reduced correspondingly. Moreover, a material saving of time and costs results from the elimination of the twisting and rewinding steps which are necessary attributes of twisted thread manufacturing processes.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction, design, arrangement and operation shown and described as numerous modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims, are readily apparent to any person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. The method of producing sized untwisted substantially cylindrical threads of artificial silk, comprising the steps of removing the size by squeezing the threads, and thereafter reconverting the shape of the threads flattened by said squeezing step, into a cylindrical shape corresponding to the titre number of the thread.

2. Apparatus for producing continuous untwisted substantially cylindrical threads of artificial silk, comprising means for sizing the threads, a pair of squeezing rollers adjacent said sizing means for removing an excess of sizing liquid, drying means for removing additional moisture remaining in the threads, and a roller interposed between said squeezing and said drying means and having grooves with parallel walls spaced according to the titre of the reconverted threads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,389,878 Symmes Nov. 27, 1945 2,547,047 Saums et al Apr. 3, 1951 2,565,407 Still Aug. 21, 1951 2,590,586 Thompson et a1 Mar. 25, 1952 

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING SIZED UNTWISTED SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL THREADS OF ARTIFICIAL SILK, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF REMOVING THE SIZE BY SQUEEZING THE THREADS, AND THEREAFTER RECONVERTING THE SHAPE OF THE THREADS FLATTENED BY SAID SQUEEZING STEP, INTO A CYLINDRICAL SHAPE CORRESPONDING TO THE TITRE NUMBER OF THE THREAD. 